JANUARY 11, 1884.] 
gression at all; but the later evidence from 
the Pacific shows that the phenomenon was 
seen several thousand miles east of Java on 
Sept.1. This extremely rapid progression has 
been mentioned as an objection to the volcanic 
theory, but it is not impossible to believe in its 
truth ; and we know little or nothing of the 
motions of the higher strata of the atmosphere. 
Besides, it is not necessary to reckon from Aug. 
26, the date of the volcanic catastrophe ; for 
the volcano had been in eruption since May 20, 
and the steamship Siam, on Aug. 1, in latitude 
6° south, longitude 89° east, sailed for more 
_ than forty miles over floating pumice. There 
seems also to be a well-marked southern pro- 
gression, though the dates for Australia and 
Tasmania are probably too late. 
It is difficult, however, to trace with cer- 
tainty a progression northward. The October 
appearances in the United States, and the 
November appearances in the United States 
and Europe, if the result of the August erup- 
tion, show a rate of progress very much slower 
than that in an easterly or westerly direction. 
There seems also to be a gap in the dates ; for, 
with the exception of the three dates in Oc- 
tober, there is a September group covering a 
large territory, and a similar group in Novem- 
ber over a different territory. The October 
records, which are all in the United States, 
are definite, but few in number. During this 
month, and up to the 20th of November, there 
was a well-marked brilliancy in the sunrise and 
sunset colors over a large portion of the United 
States, but it did not possess the marked in- 
tensity which seemed to suddenly begin after 
the 20th. It is possible that the sudden in- 
crease in the latter part of November, which 
was noted both in America and in Europe, was 
due to the arrival over these countries of the 
volcanic matter which had been moving slowly 
northwards for ten weeks ; and the October ap- 
pearances may have been either the sequel of 
the progression towards the West Indies in 
September, or the forerunner of the later, more 
marked appearances. 
Another explanation, in consonance with 
the volcanic hypothesis, may be given. The 
eruption in the Sunda Straits is not the only 
volcanic outburst of great intensity which has 
recently occurred, though it has been better 
known because occurring in an inhabited re- 
gion. Meagre accounts have been received of 
a great outburst in Bering Sea, to which brief 
allusion was made in Science, No. 46. The 
October weather review of the signal-service 
contains a letter from Sergeant Applegate, the 
observer at Unalashka, Alaska, in which he 
SCIENCE. 39 
says, referring to some sand which fell in a 
rain-storm of Oct. 20, — 
““This sand is supposed to have come either from 
the Mukushin, or the new volcano adjacent to Bogos- 
lov. The former is at a distance of about nineteen 
miles south-west, but for years has only issued forth 
smoke or steam. The latter is a new one, which 
made its appearance this summer, and burst out from 
the bottom of Behring Sea. It has been exceedingly 
active, as it has already formed an island from eight 
hundred to twelve hundred feet high. According to 
the report of Capt. Anderson, the discoverer, who sails 
one of the company’s vessels, and who went within 
two thousand yards of it, it presents a most magnifi- 
cent sight. The fire, smoke, and lava are coming out 
of many crevices, even under the water-line. Large 
bowlders are shot high in air, which, striking the 
water, send forth steam and a hissing sound. Bogos- 
lov is about sixty miles from here, in a west direc- 
tion. The new volcano is ou one-eighth of a mile 
north-west of it.”’ 
This makes the position of the volcano, lati- 
tude, 54° north; longitude, 168° west. The 
San Francisco Chronicle of Nov. 23 contains 
a more detailed report, but adds nothing essen- 
tial to the above description. As this exten- 
sive eruption has been taking place for some 
months, it is not improbable that the atmos- 
phere has received a large accession of volcanic 
material from this source also; and possibly to 
this cause may be due, at least in part, the 
appearance of the sky in November. 
It would seem as if an examination of the 
dust particles brought to the earth by rain or 
snow would furnish final proof as to the source 
of the matter causing the phenomenon, pro- 
vided that it is not wholly above the influence 
of the descending precipitation. The force of 
gravity would certainly eventually bring to the 
earth portions of the material. It is not un- 
common for meteoric matter to be found in the 
analysis of freshly-fallen snow ; and an anony- 
mous writer in the New-York herald of Dec. 
29 implies that the late snows have given indi- 
cations of meteoric matter. This, if verified, 
would tend to confirm the truth of the meteoric 
theory; but results of quite a different char- 
acter are announced in Nature for Dec. 20, 
which has been received since this article was 
begun. An analysis of fresh snow, made 
by Mr. McPherson in Madrid, Spain, revealed 
the presence of ‘‘ crystals of hypersthene, py- 
roxine, magnetic iron, and volcanic glass, all 
of which have been found in the analysis lately 
made at Paris of the volcanic ashes from the 
eruption of Java.’’ Similarly a microscopic 
examination of the sediment from a violent 
rain-storm on Dec. 13 was made at Wageningen, 
Holland, by Messrs. Beyerinck and Dam, and 
compared with a sample of ash from Krakatoa. 
